State Secretary Lopatka: Austria makes an important contribution to reducing child mortality

Vienna, 13 September 2012 – Dr. Reinhold Lopatka, State Secretary at the Austrian Ministry for European and International Affairs, today expressed his satisfaction concerning the UNICEF Progress Report 2012 on “Committing to Child Survival: A Promise Renewed” that was recently released in New York. The data show a significant reduction in child mortality in the age group of children under five: it was brought down from 12 million in 1990 to 6.9 million in 2011. “I would like to congratulate the UN International Children’s Fund on its successful work and achievements”, Lopatka said. “I am also proud of Austria’s important contribution to reducing child mortality and improving the lives of children. Children and women will continue to be a focal issue in Austria’s development cooperation.” Over the past few years, Austria has provided EDC funds for UNICEF projects mainly in the country’s immediate vicinity.

In Kosovo, for example, Austria provides financing for a project launched in 2011 seeking to improve the health of mothers and children; so far funds to the amount of EUR 660,000 have been dedicated to this project that aims at implementing the right to health and health care that is enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. In addition to that, Austria has also taken on the financing of another project launched in 2011 on monitoring children’s rights and has endowed it with EUR 920,000 so far. This project is intended to support Kosovar authorities, to develop monitoring and evaluation schemes in the field of children’s rights that will allow the authorities in charge to take well-informed decisions on improving the living conditions of children.

In Ukraine, Austria has been supporting a project on HIV prevention among pregnant women with a total of EUR 270,000 since 2010.